Sled-propeller



. knee of the sled-frame.

BARTHOLOMEW (I. MURPHY, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

sLEo-PRoPLtsR.

SPECIPCATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 371,897, dated October 18, 1887.

y Application filed July 23, 188'?. Serial No. 245,121. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concc'vt:l

Be it known that l, BARTHOLOMEW J. MUR- PHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Propelling and Controlling Attachments for Sleds, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide a propelling and controlling attachment for hand-sleds which is simple in construction, easily applied in position, effective in operation, and not liable to get out of order.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of devices, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a hand sled, showing ther propelling and controlling` attachment in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts thrown out of action.

The reference -numeral l designates the frame ofa hand or coasting sled, which is of the usual or any approved construction. To the front and rear vertical knees at each side of the sled is secured a longitudinal slotted bar, 2, in which moves or plays a vertical propelling and controlling lever. 3. This lever is shod with a metal point, 4, and is pivoted centrally, or nearly so, between its ends to one end of a horizontal arm, 5, which extends in a forward direction from the rear The arm 5 is connected with said knee by means of a pivotpin, 6, so that it will befree to rise and fall in a plane at right angles to the sled-seat as the lever 3 is moved forward or backward.

It will be understood that the parts above mentioned are present at each side of the sled, as is shown in Fig. 2.

In order to propel the sled by the devices applied thereto in the above-described manner, the rider pushes forward the levers 3, causing the shoe, or pointed portions thereof, to move backward and engage with the ground, thereby propelling the sled in a forward direction. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the levers, when drawn backward, take hold upon the ground, and when they are pushed forward they make the propelling-stroke.

, When both levers are pressed backward, the

points thereon enter or engage with the ground and the motion ofthe sled is arrested, and when either one of such levers is moved the sled is steered or moved to the right or left, as will readily be apparent.

rIhc provision of the pivoted arms will allow the levers to be properly manipulated, since` such arms are free to rise and fall as thelevers are moved forward or backward. rlhe slotted or grooved guides in which the levers move are essential features of my invention, since they prevent the lateral movement of said levers and properly guide the same during their backward and forward play.

Vhen the sled is not in use or the attach- 4ment is notrequired for use,the levers are turned into or upon the pivoted arms and the front portionsv of the levers caused to rest upon horizontal pins or stops 12 at the front of the sled-frame, as is shown in Fig. 3.

I am aware that lever propelling and brake devices have heretofore been applied to handsleds, 'as in Letters Patent No. 157,823; but the construction and arrangement are not the same as mine.

Having thus described my invention, whatA BARTHOLOMEW J. MURPHY.

llitnes'ses:

DANIEL J. Dominos, REVILo G. MARKHAM. 

